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According to notes in AMPAS library files, Vampire’s Kiss was the theatrical feature debuts of producers Barbara Zitwer and Barry Shils, as well as director Robert Bierman.
A 6 Oct 1987 HR news item reported principal photography began on 31 Aug 1987 in New York City. A list of locations included in end credits notes indicates that portions of the film were shot at The Tunnel, Mondo Cane Blues Bar, the New Museum of Contemporary Art, Man Ray Restaurant, Magickal Childe, Apple Core Theater, and Circle-in-the-Square Theater. A 2-8 Jun 1989 Village View claimed actor Nicolas Cage ate a live cockroach for the film.
According to a 24 Jun 1988 DV, a screening was held at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival. A 17 Oct 1988 New York news brief stated that Hemdale Film Corporation chief John Daly scheduled the film’s premiere on 29 Jul 1988, but cancelled it at the last minute. Daley stated he was going through a “mental exercise” about distributing the movie.
The following statements appear in end credits: “The Producers wish to thank the following for their contribution: Dorian Langdon; New York City Mayor’s Office for Film, Theater, and Broadcasting; New York State Governor’s Office for Motion Picture and Television Development; Theatrical Teamsters Local 817"; "Wardrobe: Special thanks to Paul Smith for providing Nicolas Cage’s wardrobe; Mary Ann Restivo; Tahari, Ltd.; Andre Van Pier"; "Paintings at New Museum of Contemporary Art by Betty Goodwin; Paintings of Mondo Cane Blues Bar by Zbyszek Koziol; Paintings at Peter’s Apartment by Barry Gray; Krystallos - Stephen Stefanou"; Further thanks are given to: "Allen Office Furniture; ...
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According to notes in AMPAS library files, Vampire’s Kiss was the theatrical feature debuts of producers Barbara Zitwer and Barry Shils, as well as director Robert Bierman.
A 6 Oct 1987 HR news item reported principal photography began on 31 Aug 1987 in New York City. A list of locations included in end credits notes indicates that portions of the film were shot at The Tunnel, Mondo Cane Blues Bar, the New Museum of Contemporary Art, Man Ray Restaurant, Magickal Childe, Apple Core Theater, and Circle-in-the-Square Theater. A 2-8 Jun 1989 Village View claimed actor Nicolas Cage ate a live cockroach for the film.
According to a 24 Jun 1988 DV, a screening was held at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival. A 17 Oct 1988 New York news brief stated that Hemdale Film Corporation chief John Daly scheduled the film’s premiere on 29 Jul 1988, but cancelled it at the last minute. Daley stated he was going through a “mental exercise” about distributing the movie.
The following statements appear in end credits: “The Producers wish to thank the following for their contribution: Dorian Langdon; New York City Mayor’s Office for Film, Theater, and Broadcasting; New York State Governor’s Office for Motion Picture and Television Development; Theatrical Teamsters Local 817"; "Wardrobe: Special thanks to Paul Smith for providing Nicolas Cage’s wardrobe; Mary Ann Restivo; Tahari, Ltd.; Andre Van Pier"; "Paintings at New Museum of Contemporary Art by Betty Goodwin; Paintings of Mondo Cane Blues Bar by Zbyszek Koziol; Paintings at Peter’s Apartment by Barry Gray; Krystallos - Stephen Stefanou"; Further thanks are given to: "Allen Office Furniture; Atlantic Business Products/Larry Weiss; Location Lights, Inc.; The Minolta Corporation; Perrier; Sapporo, U.S.A., Inc.; Soho Natural Express; Tecate; Giorgio Foods; ABC Carpets Onternational; A.T.&T.; Arenson Office Furniture; Crown Books; The Tropical Motel, Los Angeles; 21st Century Security; Armani; Houghton Mifflin Books; City Office of General Services; Harmon Kardon Stereos; Goya; Bowker Books; E. F. Dutton Books; Phil Sodano; David Schweizer; Joseph Starace; George Gibbs; Jonathan Channon; Beth Sternlieb & Ben Marshall; Jenny Casarotto.”
Cast credits erroneously refer to Rogerio Triandade's character, "Dr. Glaser's lover," as "Dr. Glazer's lover."
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In New York City, young literary agent Peter Loew complains to his therapist, Dr. Glaser, that he is unsuccessful with women, although he hastily dismisses her theory that he is afraid of commitment. Later, Peter picks up a girl named Jackie at a bar and brings her home to have sex, but the interlude is interrupted when a bat flies into his apartment. The next day, Peter orders his secretary, Alva Restrepo, to dig through his files in search of an old contract from 1963. He visits Dr. Glaser and confesses he was aroused while fighting off the bat. Dr. Glaser is confused, and grateful when the clock indicates that their time is up. At a singles club, Peter meets Rachel, and the two go home together. As they are about to make love, Rachel reveals she has fangs, and bites him in the neck. Instead of being frightened, Peter is sexually stimulated, and allows her to feed on his blood. Sometime later, Peter attends an art exhibit with Jackie when he abruptly declares his need to use the bathroom and sneaks home to sit in a dark room. During his next therapy session, Dr. Glaser comments on Peter’s bandaged neck, and he claims to have cut himself while shaving. When she suggests they talk about his arousal around the bat, he professes that he has no idea what she is talking about. At work, Peter gets a call from his client about the 1963 contract. Furious it has not yet been found, he orders Alva into his office and wildly berates her for her incompetence, which he believes will lose him a lucrative book deal. That night, as ...
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In New York City, young literary agent Peter Loew complains to his therapist, Dr. Glaser, that he is unsuccessful with women, although he hastily dismisses her theory that he is afraid of commitment. Later, Peter picks up a girl named Jackie at a bar and brings her home to have sex, but the interlude is interrupted when a bat flies into his apartment. The next day, Peter orders his secretary, Alva Restrepo, to dig through his files in search of an old contract from 1963. He visits Dr. Glaser and confesses he was aroused while fighting off the bat. Dr. Glaser is confused, and grateful when the clock indicates that their time is up. At a singles club, Peter meets Rachel, and the two go home together. As they are about to make love, Rachel reveals she has fangs, and bites him in the neck. Instead of being frightened, Peter is sexually stimulated, and allows her to feed on his blood. Sometime later, Peter attends an art exhibit with Jackie when he abruptly declares his need to use the bathroom and sneaks home to sit in a dark room. During his next therapy session, Dr. Glaser comments on Peter’s bandaged neck, and he claims to have cut himself while shaving. When she suggests they talk about his arousal around the bat, he professes that he has no idea what she is talking about. At work, Peter gets a call from his client about the 1963 contract. Furious it has not yet been found, he orders Alva into his office and wildly berates her for her incompetence, which he believes will lose him a lucrative book deal. That night, as Peter leaves a diner, he grasps his neck in pain. Panicking, he rushes home and calls Dr. Glaser, but is unable to reach her. He then telephones Jackie, claiming he needs to see her in person to explain his bizarre behavior, but later encounters Rachel in the lobby. Forgetting Jackie, he returns to his apartment and once again allows her to feast on his blood. The next morning, Peter loses his temper when he realizes Alva has failed to produce the contract. He chases her into the women’s restroom screaming her name, and Alva threatens to use her gun if he touches her. Horrified by his behavior, Peter apologizes and leaves. He returns home to find a note from Jackie asking him to leave her alone, and he bursts into tears, smashing everything in his apartment. Over the next few days, his obsession with finding the missing contract causes him to rage at Dr. Glaser and insist that Alma stay late into the night to continue the hunt, refusing her request for help searching the company archives. Night after night, Rachel appears in his bedroom and he offers her his neck. Over time, Peter believes he has developed sensitivity to light, repulsions to crucifixes, and bizarre food cravings. When Alma calls out sick from work, Peter takes a taxi to her home in the Bronx and spies her ironing in her underwear. Startled, Alva threatens to call the police, but Peter assures her she no longer has to worry about the contract. Alva agrees to accompany him back to the office, but in the cab, Peter’s frustration quickly returns. Alva asks the driver to stop at her brother’s gas station so she can give him some money. While Peter waits in the car, Alva begs her brother, Emilio, for bullets for her gun. Fearing she will shoot herself, Emilio gives her blanks instead. Back at the office, Peter pulls Alva’s hair and orders her to return to work before slinking off to the bathroom to look in the mirror. Although he has a reflection, Peter can no longer see it, and fears he is turning into a vampire. As Alva works late into the night, Rachel finds Peter in his office and feeds. When Alva finally finds the contract, Peter tells her that it is too late. He chases her into the basement, where she draws her revolver in fear that he is going to rape her. Instead, he asks her to kill him, and Alva fires two shots at the floor to scare him off. Peter slaps her, tears off her clothes, and overpowers her, hallucinating that she is Rachel. Wresting the gun from her grasp, he sticks the barrel in his mouth and pulls the trigger, but the blanks do not kill him. Alva faints, while Peter, surprised to be alive, is convinced that his transformation is complete. He runs home screaming, “I’m a vampire!” and overturns his couch to create a makeshift coffin. Realizing he needs to feed, he purchases a pair of plastic vampire teeth and eats a pigeon in the park. At sunset, Peter rises and goes to a club, where he sees a girl sitting alone at a backroom table. Thinking the plastic fangs are a joke, she invites him to join her, and Peter lunges at her neck and attempts to drink her blood. Rachel suddenly appears and calls him pathetic, then leaves with another man. Heartbroken, he rushes onto the dance floor and encounters the real Rachel, who recoils at the sight of his blood-soaked jacket. Bouncers eject him from the club, and he wanders the streets until sunrise, begging passersby to kill him with a jagged piece of wood. In the Bronx, Alva tells Emilio that she believes Peter raped her. After finding Peter’s address in the telephone book, they drive to his apartment and wait. Meanwhile, Peter staggers through the city, hallucinating he is at session with Dr. Glaser. He tells her that he raped someone, and murdered the girl at the club, but the therapist assures him she will explain everything to police. When he returns home, Emilio follows him inside with a tire iron. Peter attempts to impale himself with the piece of wood, but Emilio grabs the stake and drives it into his chest. As Peter dies, he envisions Rachel, who urges him to dream of her.
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Seventy-year-old newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane dies in his palatial Florida home, Xanadu, after uttering the single word “Rosebud.” While watching a newsreel summarizing the years during which Kane ... >>

The American Film Institute is grateful to Sir Paul Getty KBE and the Sir Paul Getty KBE Estate for their dedication to the art of the moving image and their support for the
AFI Catalog of Feature Films and without whose support AFI would not have been able to achieve this historical landmark in this epic scholarly endeavor.